Synonyms of people

people 1 of 2

plural noun

ˈpē-pəl 

1

as in world

human beings in general

despite the horrors she witnessed, Anne Frank never lost her faith in people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• world
• folks
• humanity
• public
• society
• species
• humankind
• community
• populace
• masses
• crowd
• rabble
• proletariat
• mob
• riffraff
• rabblement

2

as in populace

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

tensions mounted until the people rose up in rebellion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• populace
• public
• crowd
• millions
• commoners
• mob
• mass
• commons
• multitude
• plebs
• plebeians
• herd
• cattle
• rank and file
• rabble
• hoi polloi
• proletariat
• riffraff
• unwashed
• scum
• rout
• bourgeoisie
• trash
• ragtag and bobtail
• tag, rag, and bobtail
• rabblement
• middle class

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• elite
• elect
• choice
• aristocracy
• cream
• pride
• flower
• fat
• society
• pick
• A-list
• upper crust
• best
• pink
• quality
• nobility
• gentry
• royalty
• gentlefolk
• corps d'elite
• patriciate
• peerage
• gentility
• haute monde

3

as in family

a group of persons who come from the same ancestor

introduced my new boyfriend to my people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• family
• folks
• tribe
• house
• clan
• race
• kin
• blood
• household
• lineage
• descendant
• stock
• kinfolk
• kinsfolk
• kindred
• dynasty
• relative
• line
• extended family
• nuclear family
• offspring
• issue
• progeny
• seed
• brood
• blended family
• kith
• kinsman
• scion
• clansman
• kinswoman

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• origin
• birth
• extraction
• descent
• ancestry
• pedigree

people

2 of 2

verb

as in to inhabit

to supply with inhabitants

a science-fiction novel about a mission to people Mars

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inhabit
• populate
• move (to)
• colonize
• settle
• relocate (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• depopulate
• unpeople

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of people

Plural noun

Foxconn never employed more than about a thousand people and eventually part of the land was sold to Microsoft, which is planning to build seventeen data centers on the site. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026

He is then absorbed into a government system under which people without work are assigned mandatory tasks to prevent them from becoming too passive. — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Verb

The characters who people the novel rise to speak for themselves. — Literary Hub, 16 Apr. 2026

The paradox of this quartet of movies up for the new casting Oscar, all boldly peopled with nonprofessionals, is that this very practice has become professionalized. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2026